Cartagena, Colombia

My unforgettable trip to the most colorful city I have ever visited

I just got home from an unforgettable trip to Cartagena with Foray Collective x Maaji Swimwear and I wanted to share the highlights of my trip with you all!

From the moment I arrived in the old city of Cartagena, Colombia I felt a charm in the air throughout the colorful streets and people. I spent the majority of my first day wandering the streets in awe of the colorful architecture and beautiful flowers which hung off of the balconies of homes.

The Maaji house was white with pops of color. If you know me, this was basically the Colombian version of my dream home!

The entire staff was so kind and generous, they made such incredible hosts and made sure all of us were perfectly content. The rooftop was my favorite part because we had a great view of the sunset and it was perfect for tanning!

Earlier that day…

I think my favorite part of the trip was when we took a boat to our own private island off of Isla Barú. It was a tropical paradise and absolutely dreamy. They had set up the island with paddle boards, hammocks, kayaks, mats to lay on, and just about anything one could possibly need on a private island! After our incredible day there, we were each treated to a heavenly massage back at the house, which was just the cherry on top to my already perfect day!

The next morning, we woke up for yoga and then walked the walled the city in a search to find the best coffee shop! How cute was the set up!?

As we roamed the streets, I noticed that every wall was a different color! There are street vendors selling fruit, arepas, and clothing articles on every corner. Arepas are a famous Colombian food made from ground cornmeal and served plain or stuffed with eggs, meats and cheeses. They are BOMB. We walked for quite some time so what better way to hydrate than with some fresh coconut water!

We eventually found our way back to the house (the streets all look alike and can be VERY confusing) and I got some sun on the terrace. That night, we ate dinner under the stars and as soon as we sat down, fireworks started going off! The pizza we had was incredible! It was truly a magical day and an even more magical evening.

The final day was spent tanning, walking through more of Cartagena’s colorful streets and then catching the sunset at Cafe Del Mar which I found by chance! It was definitely the best place I could have watched the sunset from. Cafe Del Mar is located on the Old City’s wall and overlooks the ocean and the skyline of the new city. I posted a photo on Instagram asking for recommendations and a ton of people recommended Cafe Del Mar! I was stoked to have found myself there randomly and in time to watch the sunset. I had a truly incredible experience in Cartagena and I already cannot wait to go back!

Julia Friedman

Kathy

March 24, 2017 at 3:19 PM

Julia, I will be travelling to Cartagena on April 1st. What is the name restaurant where you had the delicious pizza? We would love to hire a speed boat captain to take us to an island OR a sailboat captain to sail around the islands for a day. What service would you recommend? The city looks simply amazing, I can hardly wait to get there. Thanks in advance for any tips you might have to offer. K

Julia Friedman

March 25, 2017 at 7:31 AM

Hey Kathy! How exciting! It is an amazing city that I’m sure you will fall in love with! I can’t remember the name of the restaurant but I know it was in Plaza Santo Domingo which is an open square with statues and vendors that comes alive at night with performances. One restaurant that I would recommend is called Cafe del Mar and it is on a part of the actual wall of the old city of Cartagena. They have music and food right on the water with a beautiful view of the new city! Epoca coffee is also really good! As far as the boat service, I am unaware what company we used as my trip was organized by Maaji Swimwear. I would talk to the concierge of your hotel or look on yelp! Make sure you bring bug spray and small US bills like singles and fives for street food, tips, etc., as I had a lot of trouble getting change for bills larger than that. I also tried going to 3 ATMS and none of them worked so make sure you are prepared. Hope that helps and thanks for visiting my blog 🙂

Julia Friedman

May 3, 2017 at 12:51 PM

Hey Beata! Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, Maaji is the brand I worked with while I was there and they rented that house to accommodate myself and other bloggers. I did hear that the Tcherassi Hotel and Spa was absolutely gorgeous, reasonably priced, and in a great location in Cartagena! Hope that helps! 🙂